Great Balls of Fried Macaroni!

Macaroni and cheese over the course of time has always been a food of comfort, trust and complete and utter pleasure.

Depending on the specific recipe, the taste quality can vary however, one thing always stays the same: melted delicious cheese. I have been eating different variations of mac and cheese my entire life: baked, out of the box, and tossed in cheese.

Last night, something revolutionary happened. I tried macaroni and cheese....fried.

I was at Cheesecake Factory - didn't have too wait long, but did still had to read the novel menu and finally fell upon my decision: Fried Macaroni and Cheese Balls.

It felt like I was ordering an item off of the Florida State Fair menu (which is one of my favorite places to eat) however instead of getting fried mac and cheese balls on a stick I got them on a plate.

The design on the plate was simple yet mouth watering....four giant fried mac and cheese balls placed in the four corners of the plate with a garnish in the middle and some sort of red tomato marinara like sauce on the side.

When I cut the fried ball open, cheese and noodles came gushing out....much like fruit juice from a Gusher. However the ball didn't fall apart and I dipped the fried shell with perfectly melted cheese and pasta into the marinara. The bite was sensational. Suddenly everything became right with the world.

How does Cheesecake Factory do it? The concept is genius: take a pleasurable food item and then fry it (which makes everything taste better) to perfection.

Technically speaking the fried mac and cheese balls are an appetizer but don't let that stop you. Cheesecake Factory has a lot of items on their menu which are completely unnecessary however with the mac and cheese balls they have gone to the edge of food innovation.

I ordered dessert (because I had to by force, who doesn't go there and order cheesecake?) which was a slice of Adam's Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple cheesecake: peanut butter and snickers....yes.

So here's the plan, next time you are thinking about a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese stop, get in your car and drive to Cheesecake Factory. If you're going to eat mac and cheese you might as well do it the best way possible: fried.

It's worth the wait.